"Jim Adney" wrote in message
...
| On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 19:23:19 GMT "NSM" wrote:
|
| For a given weight of material, maximum strength is obtained by
distributing
| it over the greatest cross sectional area possible, up to the point at
which
| it becomes too thin to resist buckling.
|
| Interesting, I never thought of it that way. Of course it's only true
| if you include the inner hollow as part of the cross section.
|
| Your last clause is the gotcha. That point is the hard one to
| determine. ;-)

That's why they pay engineers the big bucks. Hope the engineer for that new
French bridge got the math right!

N